Rwanda is to review public service remuneration this year as the government fights off private sector attempts to poach its human resources.

The biggest beneficiaries of changes in the salary structure, to be effected in the new financial year beginning July, are lower public primary school teachers, currently the lowest paid civil servants, who will receive an immediate 10 per cent salary increment beginning this month.

This will see the net salary of primary teachers increase to Rwf48,168 ($80) in July from the current Rwf41,804 ($70). 

All primary and secondary school teachers will also receive an additional 10 per cent gross monthly salary increase beginning July and a continuous yearly pay raise.

The high staff turnover in the public service is associated with pay stagnation for the past six years despite a rising cost of living. 

Salaries are disproportionately low in comparison with salaries offered in autonomous bodies, projects and other sectors of economy.  

The public service sector has also been hit by low qualification levels, with only 6.5 per cent of civil servants estimated to have had a university degree in 1998 while only 2.7 per cent had a master’s degree or higher qualifications. 

The pay adjustments, to be progressively implemented over a period of six years, began last year with a 5 per cent increase in government spending on civil service wages and salaries. 

In the financial year 2011/2012, the government’s wage bill increased to Rwf126.5 billion ($212.248,320) from Rwf120.5 billion ($202,181,208) in 2009/2010.

“These new salary scales will be indexed to the country’s economic growth. Salaries will be adjusted regularly as the economy expands,” Minister of Public Service and Labour Anastase Murekezi told The EastAfrican last week after a Cabinet meeting that approved the new public sector pay and retention policy.